cover image Butts Are Everywhere

Butts Are Everywhere

Jonathan Stutzman, illus. by Heather Fox. Putnam, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-525-51451-0

Utilizing a true wealth of hilarious synonyms, married cocreators Stutzman and Fox (Llama Destroys the World) request a little respect, please, for the buttocks, which is not just “something to crack jokes about.” On the contrary, Stutzman notes that butts are a sign of humankind’s commonality (“There are BILLIONS of bum-bums on our grand planet”) and connect humans with other animals (although not “Dolphins. Worms. Jellies. Whales”). They also serve as muscular, comfy cushions; gas passers (“It is perfectly natural and healthy for your hams to oink”); and signifiers of each individual’s uniqueness (“your wonderful can, is perfect and unique just as it is”). Fox’s digital cartoons, rendered in cheery colors and precise lines, are a spot-on match for the text’s cheeky message; she takes readers around the world, indoors and out (settings include the classroom, the museum, the backyard, and even the moon), to preach the universality of this anatomical component and the joyful message of its unconditional support: “No matter how you swing it, your caboose has your back.” Ages 4–8. Agent (for Stutzman and Fox): Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)